Conservationists sue over oil shale plan in eastern Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Several environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government's approval of the early stages of an oil shale project near the Utah-Colorado border.

The lawsuit filed Thursday by a coalition including Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity challenges the Bureau of Land Management's decision to allow Enefit American Oil to build transmission lines and pipelines on a 19-mile corridor on federal lands.

Conservationists say the project would drain billions of gallons of water from the Green River, exacerbate greenhouse gas pollution and the area's poor air quality.

Bureau of Land Management spokesman Derrick Henry said the agency doesn't comment on pending lawsuits.

Enefit American Oil CEO Ryan Clerico said in an email that production is years away and the company cooperated with officials during the environmental review process.